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Dewa ready to meet future needs of energy, water

The utility increases production capacity of energy and water to cater to the needs of rising population in the emirate

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has increased its production capacity of energy and water in order to cater to the needs of rising population in the emirate.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Dubai-based utility said it is fully prepared to meet future requirements of the population that is expected to reach 5.8 million by 2040 from 3.514 million today.

Dewa’s capacity has reached 14,117 megawatts (MW) of electricity and 490 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) of desalinated water as it has investments of over Dh86 billion over five years in water and energy sectors. It’s number of electricity accounts surged 41 per cent in the past five years as it registered 1,061,476 consumers by the end of 2021 compared to 752,505 at the end of 2016.

The number of water accounts also rose 44 per cent during the last five ears and reached 960,032 by the end of 2021 compared to 666,006 accounts at the end of 2016. The total number of electricity and water accounts reached 2,021,508 by the end of 2021.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dewa, said the utility has outlined expansion plans for the energy and water infrastructure based on demand forecasts until 2031.

“We will continue to implement pioneering projects to diversify Dubai’s clean and renewable energy sources to include all available technologies in Dubai to achieve the wise leadership’s vision for a brighter and more sustainable future for generations to come,” he said.

Focus on clean, renewable energy

The authority keeps pace with the growing demand for energy and water in Dubai. It plays a key role in the emirate’s efforts to increase the share of clean and renewable energy in line with Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and Dubai’s Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, which aims to provide 100 per cent of Dubai’s energy production capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which Dewa is implementing, is the largest single-site solar park in the world using the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model, with a planned capacity of 5,000MW by 2030. The current production capacity of the Solar Park has reached 1,627MW using PV panels.

The authority is implementing other projects at the Solar Park with a total of 1,233MW using PV and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). Clean energy share in Dubai’s energy mix has reached 11.5 per cent and is expected to reach 14 per cent by the end of 2022.

Jebel Ali Power and Desalination Complex

Dewa’s Jebel Ali Power and Desalination Complex is one of the key pillars to providing Dubai with high-quality, efficient, reliable electricity and water services. The complex has been confirmed by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest single-site natural gas power generation facility, with a capacity of 9,547MW.

Dewa, which listed its shares in April, currently has 43 Multi-Stage Flash (MSF) water desalination units with a total production capacity of 427 MIGD of water at the D-, E-, G-, K-, L, and M Stations. It also has two SWRO plants with a production capacity of 63 MIGD. Dewa’s total production capacity of desalinated water is 490 MIGD.

The H-Station Power Plant in Al Aweer is one of Dewa’s key projects to meet the reserve margin criterion set for peak electricity demand in Dubai. The station’s current installed capacity is 1,996MW of electricity.

The current production capacity of the Hassyan Power Complex, which runs on natural gas, has reached 1,800MW, using the IPP model. A further 600MW will be added in 2023. This will raise the capacity of the Complex to 2,400MW.

— muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com